Strengthening the entire forest ecosystem
Regenerative forestry is centred around a forest ecosystem that offers benefits, also called ecosystem services, to people. In addition to wood raw material, ecosystem services include berry and mushroom crops, recreational activities and carbon sequestration. Forests also have the ability to purify water and air, and to slow down soil erosion. Instead of trying to maximise an individual ecosystem service, regenerative forestry tries to strengthen the state of the forest ecosystem as a whole. “Overall optimisation helps us ensure the greatest possible diversity of the forest ecosystem so that future generations have access to its full added-value potential. In addition to wood production this includes carbon sinks, pollination services, berry crops and clean water,” says Lehesvirta. On a practical level, overall optimisation involves a group of forest and nature management practices that are already partly used in Finnish forestry. “Finnish forestry is high quality as it is. We’re not reinventing the wheel but aiming to bring the best nature-boosting practices into mainstream forestry.”
Informing consumers about the environmental impact
Verifying positive change is a key principle of regenerative forestry. Metsä Group is developing a set of measurements which help to observe the change in the state of nature. When measurements are repeated after a certain period of time, they reveal the direction in which biodiversity in the area has evolved. Metsä Group aims to have reliable, measured data on the state of the forest resources and its changes by 2030. The company is developing commensurate tracking and verification methods through comprehensive collaboration in phases so that the verified results also reach consumers. “We’re an internationally significant player. This means our actions matter. Regenerative forestry is our way of ensuring that the total impact of using Nordic wood is as positive and as large as possible,” says Junnikkala.
DEFORESTATION means destroying forests to use the land for other purposes. The EU has aimed to minimise forest clearing for agricultural use with the deforestation regulation. BIODIVERSITY LOSS refers to the decline in species and overall biodiversity due to human activities. This includes the endangerment and potential extinction of species.
Metsä Group Plus service puts principles into practice
Metsä Group launched its new Metsä Group Plus service in the summer of 2023. It is a forest management model that utilises the principles of regenerative forestry. The model is targeted for owner-members of Metsä Group’s parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative. Measures that are more comprehensive than current practices and that support and improve the diversity of forests are agreed together with the forest owner in connection with wood purchases or orders for young stand management. The reach of the measures in the Metsä Group Plus service is remarkable, as Metsäliitto Cooperative’s owner-members own approximately half of Finland’s private forests. •
1 Kemper & Pathak. 2021. The business case for nature. World Bank Blogs. 2 Parviainen et al. 2010. Finland’s Forests in Changing Climate. Finnish Forest Research Institute.
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